Expendable Resources
}} Shirra re-supplies V with rubies for Forcecage, while the IFCC plans their next move. Cast * The Order of the Stick ** Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶ * Blackwing ◀ ▶ * Qarr ◀ * The IFCC ** Cedrik ◀ ** Lee ◀ ** Nero ◀ * Shirra Copperbottom ◀ ▶ Transcript Shirra: OK, here you go. My company doesn't mine rubies, so this is all I could get my hands on right now. Vaarsuvius: Any amount you were able to procure will be sufficient, thank you. Blackwing: Wait, I know diamons are for Stoneskin and Durkon's cleric stuff. What are rubies for? Vaarsuvius: The Forcecage spell consumes several grams of ruby dust on each occasion that I cast it. Blackwing: It does? How come I never noticed? Vaarsuvius: It would be unkind of me to speculate on your assorted shortcomings. Vaarsuvius: At any rate, how much gold do you require in exchange for the gemstones? Shirra: Don't worry about it. A friend of Durkon's is a friend of mine. Shirra: I'll just add it to the money I'm losing taking the day off to help Sigdi! Vaarsuvius: Then you have my further thanks. I am only too aware of the unusually high value one's time can possess. Cut to somewhere in the Lower Planes where the IFCC confer with Qarr. Nero: Gentlemen. It would seem as if Hel's efforts have been indefinitely stalled. Lee: I suppose it was too much to hope the gods would do our work for us. Cedrik: The good new is, it cost us nothing and we can still proceed. Nero: Indeed. Is the artifact ready? Lee: More or less. No way to tell if it's working until we fire it up. Cedrik: I had it moved to my place, so we shall reconvene there. Nero: And the succubus? Lee: She should return with an appropriate vessel in short order. Qarr: I thought she was using her vacation days? Cedrik: She is. Sabine has a long history of mixing business with pleasure. Nero: Excellent. I enjoy our subtle intrigues, but I confess I am looking forward to a more direct effort. Lee: Yes, it's time to really roll our sleeves up and get our followers' hands dirty. Cedrik: the fireworks ought to be suitable spectacular. Cut back to the temple of Thor in Firmament. Blackwing looks at the bag of rubies. Blackwing: I know everyone's expecting a joke from me here but I'm observing a moment of silence for these brave sparkly boys doomed to flutter into oblivion.'' D&D Context * The material component for Forcecage is 1,500 gp worth of ruby dust, which apparently is several grams at the market rates of the Order of the Stick universe. This material is consumed in the casting. * Stoneskin requires a more modest 250 gp worth of diamond dust. * The cleric spells Raise Dead and Resurrection require diamonds worth 5,000 gp and 10,000 gp respectively. * Succubi are demons who use seduction as their primary means of corrupting their victims, hence Cedrik's remark in panel 8. Trivia * V's comment in panel 5 refers to their debt of time owed to the IFCC under the terms of the deal made for the Soul Splice in #633. It provides a natural segue to the otherwise non sequitur cut to the infernal domain of the IFCC. * This is the latest appearance of: ** Qarr, the imp who variously served Kubota, Zz'dtri, and the IFCC. He first appeared advising Kubota in #484. He appeared in forty-eight strips overall. ** Cedrik, Lee, and Nero, the Inter-fiend Cooperation Commission. They first appeared in #380 and have made nineteen appearances. External Links * 1183}} View the comic * 601037}} View the discussion thread